This course provides students with an in-depth study of how the portrayal of people with disabilities of many kinds - physical, emotional, social, and mental - in literature is reflective of the social and historical context in which it was written. Students apply close textual analysis of the imagery used to describe people with disabilities and evaluate the cultural attitudes this use of language reveals. Students read literature written by both disabled and non-disabled authors and analyze the ways that many stereotypical portrayals of disability undermine the disability community. Questions of how a culture decides what is "normal," how portrayals of the disability experience in literature differ between adults and children, and how the advocacy role is portrayed in literature are also examined. The goal of this course is to discover how literature can challenge our own assumptions about the experience of the disabled by contemplating what ultimately makes us human.

A writing course introducing students to the effective communication of technical information through various workplace documents including resumes, memos, business letters, reports, brochures, etc. Special emphasis on an introduction to professional conventions and genres and to the transferable skills of rhetorical and audience analysis, document design and collaborative work.

This capstone course for History majors is designed to integrate learning from the entire major in an individually-customized project. Students demonstrate competency in history by producing an assessment of prior historical study (historiography) and a substantive original essay based on in-depth research. Prior to capstone enrollment, students are expected to complete the majority of their required major courses. Students should consult with their advisor regarding specific major courses that may be completed with their capstone. NOTE: Students who were admitted to the college before Fall 2019 and have remained active in their original catalog year are not required to take IDIS 601.

Students work under the direction of a faculty thesis advisor to plan and carry out independent research resulting in an oral presentation and a major research paper. Research projects should include the development of a research thesis/question, a literature review, analysis, and synthesis of relevant data/sources, discussion and interpretation and presentation of results. Senior Thesis can be used to substitute for Internship in HLS. Permission by HLS program coordinator required, open only to HLS seniors.